System and method for encoding and decoding an image or document and document encoded thereby

• US 20030039195A1
• Filed: 08/07/2002
• Published: 02/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pacific Holographics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Pacific Holographics, Inc.
• Inventors: Long, Michael D., Newcomb, Diana
• Granted Patent: US 6,865,001 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 369/103
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/0011 for security or authentication holograms on information-bearing cards B42D25/328; testing papers with holograms G07D7/0032
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/041 Optical element in the object space affecting the object beam, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/0891 Processes or apparatus adapted to convert digital holographic data into a hologram G03H1/2294 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/30 discrete holograms only
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/0016 Covert holograms or holobjects requiring additional knowledge to be perceived, e.g. holobject reconstructed only under IR illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/0022 Deciphering being performed with numerical or optical key, e.g. with the optical scrambler used during recording
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/0497 Dot matrix holograms
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/266 Wavelength multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/303 Interleaved sub-holograms, e.g. three RGB sub-holograms having interleaved pixels for reconstructing coloured holobject
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2210/55 Having particular size, e.g. irresolvable by the eye
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2260/54 Photorefractive reactivity wherein light induces photo-generation, redistribution and trapping of charges then a modification of refractive index, e.g. photorefractive polymer
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/0032 using holograms

Abstract

Holographic and diffractive security devices and documents carrying security devices as well as system, apparatus, and method for making and using security devices. Security devices provide at least one type of security feature in form of secret, hidden, or covert security feature, not visible to a normal unaided human eye. Covert security features may be any graphic or symbolic representation. One or multiple security features may be provided on any single security device in any combination. Covert feature is revealed either when a decoder device is used with the security device, or when the security device is oriented and viewed in predetermined manner. Embodiments may provide a second overt or non-covert security device in the form of a diffractive or holographic image or graphic that is visible to the unaided eye without use of any decoder or special viewing conditions.

Claims

1. A security device comprising:

a pattern formed from an array of cells and displaying an unencoded component visible to the unaided eye of a viewer and an encoded component not readily discernable to the unaided eye of a viewer;

said pattern comprised of a plurality of cells including (i) diffractive regions and non-diffractive regions, or (ii) diffractive regions and modulated-diffractive regions such that the diffractive regions and modulated-diffractive regions can be selectively illuminated by an external illumination source at different angles and be made independently visible to said viewer, or (iii) diffractive regions and a combination of non-diffractive regions and modulated diffractive regions;

each cell being small enough to be not readily discernable to the unaided eye of a human viewer;

each cell having at least one diffractive region and at least one non-diffractive or modulated-diffractive region, the ratio of the area of the diffractive region to the area of the non-diffractive or modulated-diffractive region in each encoded or uuencoded cell being substantially identical;

the encoded component not visible to an unaided eye being encoded into said synthesized pattern by substantially reversing the contrast of each cell forming a portion of the encoded component to change diffractive portions to non-diffractive or modulated-diffractive portions, and to change non-diffractive or modulated-diffractive portions to diffractive portions, the brightness within each cell remaining substantially unchanged as a result of the contrast reversal by maintaining a substantially constant ratio of substantially 1-to-1 between the diffractive area to the non-diffractive or modulated-diffractive areas in the encoded and uuencoded cells; and

the encoded component not readily visible to an unaided eye of said viewer being rendered visible to the unaided eye of said viewer when viewed through an external decoding device.

2. The security device in claim 1, wherein the security device comprises a diffractive security device.

3. The security device in claim 1, wherein the security device comprises a holographic security device.

4. The security device in claim 1, wherein the diffractive regions have a diffractive frequency, diffractive angular orientation, and a diffractive modulation strength.

5. The security device in claim 1, wherein the modulated-diffractive regions have a modulated diffractive spatial frequency, a modulated diffractive angular orientation, and a modulated diffractive modulation strength.

6. A security device as in claim 1, wherein said external decoding device comprises a decoding screen.

7. A security device as in claim 6, wherein said external decoding screen comprises a two-dimensional array of screen elements having shapes and sizes corresponding to shapes and sizes of the encoding regions.

8. A security device as in claim 1, wherein the unencoded component visible to the unaided eye comprises a holographic macroscopic image comprised of diffractive elements.

9. A security device as in claim 1, wherein said security device comprises a diffractive security device or a holographic security device.

10. A security device as in claim 1, wherein each said cell being small enough to be indiscernible to the unaided eye of a viewer by having a size dimension of between substantially {fraction (1/100)} inch and {fraction (1/2000)} inch.

11. A security device as in claim 1, wherein each said cell being small enough to be indiscernible to the unaided eye of a viewer by having a size dimension of between {fraction (1/400)} inch and {fraction (1/1000)} inch.

12. A security device as in claim 1, wherein each said cell being small enough to be indiscernible to the unaided eye of a viewer by having a size dimension less than the visual acuity of a standard human having 20/20 vision and viewed from a distance of between 4 inches and 40 inches.

13. The security device in claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a substantially transparent substrate.

14. The security device in claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a reflective substrate.

15. The security device in claim 1, wherein the external decoding screen comprises a screen having a regular array of substantially non-transparent opaque non-diffractive areas on a substantially transparent non-diffractive substrate.

16. The security device in claim 15, wherein substantially non-transparent opaque areas comprise substantially non-transparent opaque round dots.

17. The security device in claim 1, wherein the external decoding screen comprises a screen having a regular array of transparent regions forming dots on an opaque substrate.

18. The security device in claim 1, wherein said opaque dots transmit less than 50% of the light incident thereon.

19. The security device in claim 1, wherein the security device further comprises the external decoding device.

20. The security device in claim 1, wherein the device further comprises the external decoding device and the external decoding device comprises a screen having a substantially regular pattern array of dots selected from the set of geometrical shapes selected from the set of shapes consisting of:

dots, circles, ovals, squares, rectangles, triangles, pentagons, hexagons, regular or irregular polygons, symbols, or combinations thereof.

21. The security device in claim 1, wherein the two-dimensional array comprises a two-dimensional array of substantially square cells.

22. The security device in claim 7, wherein the decoding screen is binary being either substantially opaque or substantially transparent and the ratio of opaque areas to transparent areas in any given cell is substantially 0.5.

23. The security device in claim 1, wherein the hidden content is encoded by a contrast reversal changing at least some of a non-diffractive area to a diffractive area and at least some of a diffractive area to an non-diffractive area, said contrast reversal maintaining the ratio of diffractive areas to non-diffractive areas at substantially 0.5.

24. The security device in claim 1, wherein the security device presents the impression of a plurality of apparent gray levels or differences in transmission or reflectivity.

25. The security device in claim 24, wherein an apparent gray level is achieved by altering one of the angular orientation of the diffractive structure of the hologram or the modulation of the diffractive structure of the hologram so that the magnitude of light reaching any particular viewing position from any particular region of the holographic device is increased or decreased to achieve apparent gray scale density variations.

26. The security device in claim 25, wherein any apparent gray level is achieved by altering one or more of:

(i) increasing or decreasing the area of the diffractive structures in the cells of the hologram (ii) the angular orientation of the diffractive structure of the hologram, or (iii) the frequency of the diffractive structure of the hologram, or (iv) the modulation of the diffractive structure of the hologram, so that the magnitude of light reaching the eye of the viewer at any particular viewing position from any particular region of the holographic device is increased or decreased to achieve apparent gray scale density variations.

27. The security device in claim 25, wherein any apparent gray level is achieved by increasing or decreasing the area of the diffractive structures in the cells of the hologram, so that the magnitude of light reaching the eye of the viewer at any particular viewing position from any particular region of the holographic device is increased or decreased to achieve apparent gray scale density variations.

28. The security device in claim 1, wherein the diffractive regions are revealed through the transparent portions of the decoding screen.

29. The security device in claim 1, wherein poly-chromatic color is achieved by altering the spatial frequency of the diffractive structures.

30. The security device in claim 1, wherein the shape of the cell regions remain the same even when any of the diffractive or holographic grating frequency, diffractive or holographic angular orientation, and diffractive or holographic modulation strength is modified to achieve gray scale density or color variations.

31. The security device in claim 1, wherein the size of a screen elements is fixed.

32. The security device in claim 1, wherein the size of a contrast reversed dot is fixed.

33. The security device in claim 1, wherein each of the non-contrast reversed screen dots comprises a substantially fifty-percent dot.

34. The security device in claim 1, wherein each of the contrast reversed dots comprises a fifty-percent dot.

35. The security device in claim 1, wherein each of the non-contrast reversed screen dots comprises a fifty-percent region of having the same but arbitrary shape within the security device.

36. The security device in claim 1, wherein each of the contrast reversed screen dots comprises a fifty-percent region of arbitrary shape complementary to the shape of the non-contrast reversed regions, the arbitrary shape being the same within any single security device.

37. The security device in claim 1, wherein the cells have periodic spacing screen element spacing of any amount between about 50 screen elements per inch and about 2000 screen elements per inch.

38. The security device in claim 37, wherein the screen has a screen element spacing of any of about:

100 screen elements per inch, 200 screen elements per inch, 250 screen elements per inch, 300 screen elements per inch, 400 screen elements per inch, 500 screen elements per inch, 600 screen elements per inch, 800 screen elements per inch, 1000 screen elements per inch, 1500 screen elements per inch, and 2000 screen elements per inch.

39. The security device in claim 1, wherein the cell screen elements comprise round dots on a square surround, or round dots on a square surround.

40. The security device in claim 1, wherein the security feature is rendered substantially invisible or undetectable to an unaided eye of a viewer by virtue of it being at a scale that is less than the resolution of the unaided eye of the viewer and is rendered visible or detectable to the unaided eye of the viewer when viewing through the decoding device by virtue of the decoding device aligning substantially opaque regions of screen cells in the decoder with substantially opaque regions of the contrast reversed screen cells of the image to generate first regions having higher opacity and second regions having lower opacity than surrounding non-information carrying regions.

41. The security device in claim 1, wherein:

said device is encoded with more than one covert component, in which discrete areas containing covert components are generated with different regular arrays of cells of particular size, spacing, shape, and cell array frequencies.

42. The security device in claim 1, wherein the security device includes discrete regions that are decodedable with different decoding screens, or are decodable with a single decoding screen that has the corresponding regions to match the encoded covert components in the security device.

43. The security device in claim 42, wherein the different screens have array frequencies corresponding to the array frequencies of the covert component frequencies, and the single screen has the corresponding array frequencies in the corresponding regions, to match the encoded covert components in the security device.

44. The security device in claim 42, wherein the different screens have particular size, spacing, shape, and array frequencies corresponding to the size, spacing, shape, and array frequencies of the covert component, and the single screen has the corresponding size, spacing, shape, and array frequencies in the corresponding regions, to match the encoded covert components in the security device.

45. The security device in claim 1, wherein said security device includes features that are at a higher spatial frequency than the decoder device screen needed to decode the security device.

46. The security device in claim 1, wherein said security device features include features at spatial frequencies greater than or equal to 200 lines per inch.

47. The security device in claim 1, wherein said security device features include features at spatial frequencies greater than or equal to 400 lines per inch.

48. The security device in claim 1, wherein the security device is formed at the same time and integral with a holographic image on a common substrate.

49. The security device in claim 1, wherein the decoder device screen needed to decode the security device includes spatial frequencies greater than 200 lines per inch.

50. The security device in claim 1, wherein said security device and screen decoder are formed with a frequency array of cells greater than 200 lines per inch.

51. The security device in claim 1, wherein said security device and screen decoder are formed with a frequency array of cells greater than 200 lines per inch using a printing system and method different from laser photo-plotting, embossing a special grating structure, or combinations thereof.

52. The security device in claim 1, wherein the device is generated with any technique including by laser photo-plotting or by embossing a special grating structure corresponding to the cell array.

53. The security device in claim 1, wherein said device is comprised of first grating structures disposed either in a matrix of void areas or in a matrix of second gratings oriented at a angle different from an angle of the first grating structures.

54. The security device in claim 1, wherein the decoder device functions by diffracting light away from the viewers eye in regions of the security device where the diffractive regions of the device diffracts light toward the viewer.

55. The security device in claim 1, wherein decoder device functions by diffracting light diffracted by the diffractive regions of the security device and coming from the security device into a new direction from which the encoded image can be observed.

56. The security device in claim 1, wherein said device comprises a two-dimensional array of cells with complex multiple element diffractive and non-diffractive or modulated-diffractive shapes, and its corresponding decoding screen comprises a two-dimensional array of cells with substantially identical complex multiple element shapes.

57. The security device in claim 1, wherein the substantially identical decoding screen complex multiple element shapes are contrast modified relative to the security device multiple element diffractive and non-diffractive or modulated-diffractive shapes.

58. The security device in claim 1, wherein the cells comprise a field cells and image cells, each having a different pattern and being combined to encode the covert image.

59. The security device in claim 1, wherein said cells include multi-part field cells and multi-part image cells, the field cells and image cells being complementary in that each diffractive part of an image cell has a non-diffractive or modulated-diffractive counterpart in the field cell.

60. The security device in claim 1, wherein said security device is encoded with a semi-covert low frequency component such that the semi-covert component is visible in or near a zero-frequency order when the security device is viewed in reflection without a decoder screen, but is invisible when the security device is viewed at an angle which reveals the unencoded component.

61. The security device in claim 60, wherein said reflection comprises direct reflection.

62. The security device in claim 1, wherein said device is comprised of a mesh of first grating structures disposed in a matrix of void areas, and second grating structures oriented at angles different from the angles of the first grating structures and also disposed in a matrix of void areas, said first and second grating structures and voids areas revealing different covert images at different angles, either with the same, or with different decoders.

63. The security device in claim 1, wherein said security device is encoded with a covert component and a semi-covert component;

the covert component comprising an encoded covert feature viewable through a decoder; and

the semi-covert component being formed such that the semi-covert component is visible in or near a zero-frequency order when the security device is viewed in reflection without a decoder screen, but is invisible when the security device is viewed at an angle which reveals the unencoded component said semi-covert component being visible without a decoder.

64. The security device in claim 63, wherein the semi-covert component is generated with a two-dimensional array of cells having diffractive portions and non-diffractive portions the shapes and angles of which at least one of the diffractive portions and non-diffractive portions accentuate the visibility of the semi-covert image component when viewed in zero order.

65. The security device in claim 64, wherein the shapes are selected to accentuate the visibility of the semi-covert image component when viewed in or near zero order.

66. The security device in claim 64, wherein the angles are selected as to accentuate the visibility of the semi-covert image component when viewed in or near zero order.

67. The security device in claim 64, wherein the semi-covert component viewable in zero order is created by forming semi-covert image component structures at a lower spatial frequency than the diffractive structures which form the covert image.

68. The security device in claim 64, semi-covert image component structures frequencies are formed at spatial frequencies in the range between substantially 50 lines per inch and substantially 400 lines per inch, and the covert image is formed at spatial frequencies in the range between substantially 500 lines per mm and 2000 lines per mm.

69. The security device in claim 1, wherein said encoded covert component may be decoded all or in part by printing, perforating, or demetallizing a decoder screen directly on the security device.

70. The security device in claim 1, wherein said security device comprises an embossed security device.

71. The security device in claim 1, wherein said encoded covert component is embedded in the non-data carrying surface of a optically recorded device or applied to the optically recorded device as a label, and a carrier for the optically recorded device includes the corresponding decoder screen in a transparent window of the carrier such that when the optically recorded device is inserted in the carrier the covert component is decoded.

72. The security device in claim 71, wherein said optically recorded device is a device selected from the group consisting of a CD and a DVD;

and the carrier comprises a sleeve or case for the CD or DVD.

73. The security device in claim 1, wherein said encoded covert component is embedded in the non-data carrying surface of a CD or applied to the CD as a label, and the CD sleeve printed with a corresponding decoder screen in a transparent window such that when the CD is inserted in the sleeve the covert component is decoded.

74. The security device in claim 1, wherein the substrate is selected from the set of substrates consisting of:

paper, plastic, metal, polymers, embossable reflective materials, embossable refractive materials, metallized papers, metallized polymers, metallized foils, thermoplastic materials, hologram substrates, and combinations thereof.

75. The security device in claim 1, wherein the security device is coupled with or integrated into a document selected from the set of documents consisting of:

a bank check, a currency, a ticket, a banknote, a credit card, a debit cards, an identification card, a passport, a certificate, a visa, a travel document, a travelers check, an anti-counterfeiting label or marking, a postage stamp, a birth certificate, a death certificate, a vehicle registration, a vehicle identification marking, a vehicle registration card, a health care identification or benefit card or document, a real property deed, a controlled substance identification, a certificate of title, a tax seal, a voter identification seal, a drivers'"'"' license, an optical data storage devices, a CD, a DVD, an item of computer software, a facility access card, and combinations thereof

79. The security device in claim 1, wherein said security device features include features at spatial frequencies greater than or equal to 72 lines per inch.

80. The security device in claim 1, wherein said security device features include features at spatial frequencies greater than or equal to 150 lines per inch.

81. The security device in claim 53, wherein said second gratings reveal a different overt image than the first gratings.

76. A secure document comprising:

a substrate;

a security pattern formed integral with or carried by the substrate;

said pattern formed from an array of cells and displaying an unencoded component visible to the unaided eye of a viewer and an encoded component not readily discernable to the unaided eye of a viewer;

said pattern comprised of (i) diffractive regions and non-diffractive regions, or (ii) diffractive regions and modulated-diffractive regions such that the diffractive regions and modulated-diffractive regions can be selectively illuminated by an external illumination source at different angles and be made independently visible to said viewer, or (iii) diffractive regions and a combination of non-diffractive regions and modulated diffractive regions;

each cell being small enough to be not readily discernable to the unaided eye of a human viewer;

each cell having at least one diffractive region and at least one non-diffractive or modulated-diffractive region, the ratio of the area of the diffractive region to the area of the non-diffractive or modulated-diffractive region in each encoded or uuencoded cell being substantially identical;

the encoded component not visible to an unaided eye being encoded into said synthesized pattern by substantially reversing the contrast of each cell forming a portion of the encoded component to change diffractive portions to non-diffractive or modulated-diffractive portions, and to change non-diffractive or modulated-diffractive portions to diffractive portions, the brightness within each cell remaining substantially unchanged as a result of the contrast reversal by maintaining a substantially constant ratio between the diffractive area to the non-diffractive or modulated-diffractive areas in the encoded and uuencoded cells; and

the encoded component not readily visible to an unaided eye of said viewer being rendered visible to the unaided eye of said viewer when viewed through an external decoding device.

77. A secure document as in claim 76, wherein:

said document is selected from the set of documents consisting of;

a bank check, a currency, a ticket, a banknote, a credit card, a debit cards, an identification card, a passport, a certificate, a visa, a travel document, a travelers check, an anti-counterfeiting label or marking, a postage stamp, a birth certificate, a death certificate, a vehicle registration, a vehicle identification marking, a vehicle registration card, a health care identification or benefit card or document, a real property deed, a controlled substance identification, a certificate of title, a tax seal, a voter identification seal, a drivers'"'"' license, an optical data storage devices, a CD, a DVD, an item of computer software, a facility access card, and combinations thereof; and

said substrate is selected from the set of substrates consisting of;

paper, plastic, metal, polymers, embossable reflective materials, embossable refractive materials, metallized papers, metallized polymers, metallized foils, thermoplastic materials, hologram substrates, and combinations thereof

78. A method for making a security device, said method comprising:

generating a holographic image recording including a first non-covert holographic image having a plurality of diffractive grating elements and second covert image within said plurality of diffractive gratings having a pattern;

forming said pattern as an array of cells that present an encoded component not readily discernable to the unaided eye of a viewer;

said pattern comprised of (i) diffractive regions and non-diffractive regions, or (ii) diffractive regions and modulated-diffractive regions such that the diffractive regions and modulated-diffractive regions can be selectively illuminated by an external illumination source at different angles and be made independently visible to said viewer, or (iii) diffractive regions and a combination of non-diffractive regions and modulated diffractive regions.

82. A security device comprising:

a pattern formed from an array of cells and displaying an unencoded component visible to the unaided eye of a viewer and an encoded component not readily discernable to the unaided eye of a viewer;

said pattern comprised of (i) diffractive regions and non-diffractive regions, or (ii) diffractive regions and modulated-diffractive regions such that the diffractive regions and modulated-diffractive regions can be selectively illuminated by an external illumination source at different angles and be made independently visible to said viewer, or (iii) diffractive regions and a combination of non-diffractive regions and modulated diffractive regions; and

said pattern organized as an array of cells, each cell being small enough to be not readily discernable to the unaided eye of a human viewer.

83. A security device as in claim 82, wherein:

each cell having at least one diffractive region and at least one non-diffractive or modulated-diffractive region, the ratio of the area of the diffractive region to the area of the non-diffractive or modulated-diffractive region in each encoded or unencoded cell being substantially identical to other local cells.

84. A security device as in claim 82, wherein:

the encoded component not visible to an unaided eye being encoded into said synthesized pattern by substantially reversing the contrast of each cell forming a portion of the encoded component to change diffractive portions to non-diffractive or modulated-diffractive portions, and to change non-diffractive or modulated-diffractive portions to diffractive portions, the brightness within each cell remaining substantially unchanged as a result of the contrast reversal by adjusting the diffractive areas to form a substantially constant diffractive area in both the encoded and unencoded cells; and

the encoded component not readily visible to an unaided eye of said viewer being rendered visible to the unaided eye of said viewer when viewed through an external decoding device.